SAMBALPUR: Police on Friday arrested former president of Sambalpur District Congress Committee (DCC) Assaf Ali Khan on charges of mentally torturing a female party leader who attempted suicide recently. The female Congress leader, who was recently removed from the post of general secretary of the party’s minority cell, tried to end her life by consuming phenyl on Thursday.
Before her suicide bid, she circulated a letter among her acquaintances and police officials via WhatsApp accusing Assaf of torturing her mentally. However, the woman survived and was rushed to Sambalpur district headquarters hospital where she is currently undergoing treatment.
In the letter, the woman alleged that while her husband was torturing her mentally and physically for the last 15 years, Assaf was threatening to spoil her career. The accused was also defaming her due to which she was in severe mental trauma.
Following the incident, police detained Assaf on Thursday evening and subsequently, arrested him. Town IIC Bulu Swain said the accused was arrested under sections 354, 354(a), 109, 309, 323, 500, 506, 509, and 34 of the IPC.
On the other hand, Assaf said, “I resigned from the post of president of Sambalpur DCC because of the woman. Her husband had written a letter to me raising serious allegations against her and sought my assistance. I conveyed the matter to the senior party leaders. After not getting any response from them, I resigned from the post.”
Assaf resigned from his post around three months back. Contacted, Sambalpur DCC president Rajendra Chhatria said the female party leader was removed from her post on December 19. It is a personal matter and the party has nothing to do with the incident.